Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 859

Chapter 859: Tasteless

Pei Que was still very young; he was not in a hurry to become Prime Minister. Otherwise, if he were to become prime minister now, he would not have any other positions to advance to for decades.

An Zhi laughed heartily. “Third Sister-in-law, you’re joking. Pei Que is still so young; it would not be good for him to rise too quickly.”

“What’s wrong with that? If Fourth Brother becomes Prime Minister, our entire Pei family will enjoy the benefits,” Madam Meng said after a moment’s contemplation. “In the future, the younger generation of our Pei family will all have to rely on Fourth Brother.”

When one person attained power, even their relatives and friends would rise to prominence—this was quite normal. If Pei Que held power in court, the Pei family would naturally rise in status as well.

Although the Pei family had risen to prominence in the capital, after the tragic death of Old Master Pei at the palace gates and Pei Que’s exile, they were far from their former glory.

Having experienced the best of times, it’s inevitable to yearn for it.

The third branch of the family had supported Pei Que from the beginning, and his steady rise was indeed a good thing for them, as it brought them prestige.

However, An Zhi genuinely believed that a steady climb was better than a rapid one. She did not care much about titles and honors; the safety of her family was paramount.

Time flew while they chatted, and when firecrackers sounded outside, An Zhi and the others had to disperse.

Yue’er, tired from playing with her older siblings, fell asleep on the way home when Pei Que carried her.

An Zhi, following Pei Que, said, “After New Year’s Eve, spring will arrive. My third sister-in-law was just telling me where the Seventh Prince’s grain comes from. Right now, I’m afraid most of the capital is waiting for him to ascend the throne.”

“The Emperor’s only support, the Xu family, has fallen. Without their support, he’s just a ten-year-old child, powerless and without anyone. Except for a few stubborn old men, everyone else is unwilling to get involved and can not wait for a more mature person to become Emperor.” Pei Que, holding Yue’er, unconsciously lowered his voice. “Even a stubborn man like Duke Cheng will stand idly by for the sake of the Cheng family. That shows how many people are waiting for a change of emperor.”

The current Emperor was neither disliked nor unpopular. He was more obedient than Emperor Hui; his talent was average, but he had no complaints. He tried hard to learn everything, but he never quite mastered it. This was a soft nature cultivated after years of being neglected.

But the last thing an Emperor should have was a soft nature. The court officials had long harbored reservations about this Emperor.

Furthermore, with incidents occurring one after another across the land, many realized that the Jin Dynasty needed a mature Emperor, not a child. It would take at least five more years for the child to grow up. In those five years, the Jin Dynasty’s territory might be divided up countless times.

Therefore, after Li Xing appeared, although many knew his intentions, everyone chose to let things unfold as they would.

An Zhi had not seen the Emperor many times, but every time she entered the palace, Xue Mengyao would mention him, saying he was a very well-behaved child.

“What a pity.” If he had not been born into an imperial family, he would not have become cannon fodder in the struggle for the throne.

After sighing, An Zhi went to her own courtyard. After washing up, the next day arrived.

The first day of the Lunar New Year was a good day for other families, a day of new beginnings and fresh starts, but it was different for the Pei family. Today was the anniversary of Old Master Pei’s death. Four years had passed since he left, a long time indeed, yet it felt like yesterday.

The entire Pei family, young and old, had arrived, making it even more lively than New Year’s Eve yesterday.

With so many people, there were many things to do.

An Zhi had instructed Cuisi early in the morning, “You do not need to worry about anything else today; just take good care of the little young lady. With so many people in the residence, make sure nothing happens to her.”

“Do not worry, I will stay with you, Miss, all day,” Cuisi assured her.

After instructing Cuisi, An Zhi went out to greet the guests.

Those who came to pay their respects today were all relatives of the Pei family. Although they came to pay their respects, they also came to offer New Year’s greetings; over a hundred people had come, filling the entire garden.

An Zhi had already met one aunt and was also going to greet the family’s patriarch, but fortunately, she had long since mastered these skills and handled them with ease.

Once everyone had arrived, they went to the ancestral hall to pay their respects. Pei Que led the male relatives, while An Zhi led the female relatives.

They had just met at the ancestral hall when servants rushed over. One whispered in Pei Que’s ear, while the other called An Zhi aside.

“Madam, the young master of the eldest son has arrived,” the servant said with a bitter face. “He insists on coming in to pay respects to the Old Master. We tried to stop him, but he shouted at the gate that we were being unreasonable. He’s still at the gate; who knows what kind of trouble he will cause? You and Master, please make a decision quickly.”

“On the first day of the Lunar New Year, he’s shameless himself, dragging the Pei family down with him!” An Zhi said angrily through gritted teeth.

As she finished speaking, Pei Que, who was not far away, also turned to look.

Their eyes met. Pei Que walked towards An Zhi, telling the others to wait a moment while he and his wife went to the gate to deal with Pei Yu’s matter.

They hurried to the gate and saw Pei Yu, dressed in white, standing there carrying offerings for the memorial service.

“Fourth Uncle, Fourth Aunt,” Pei Yu greeted.

A large crowd had gathered along the street. The people of the capital were all familiar with the Pei family’s affairs, and out of respect for the Pei family, no one dared to speak up and watch the spectacle, though their minds were certainly racing.

An Zhi glanced at Pei Que, and then Pei Que took her hand.

“Pei Yu, you’re no longer a member of our Pei family. You’ve come here today specifically to cause trouble. Do you even deserve the affection our grandfather showed you?” Pei Que questioned sharply.

“Precisely because my grandfather loved me, I should come to pay my respects to him. I cannot forget his careful upbringing,” Pei Yu said slowly and deliberately, which was incredibly irritating.

Pei Que’s thick brows furrowed. If it were not for the large crowd surrounding them, he would have already attacked.

An Zhi began, “Pei Yu, the old master said before he passed away that he did not want to see you again. Your branch did something foolish to be kicked out of the family by him. We dare not let you in today; otherwise, the old master would be watching from the underworld. If you want to say we are heartless, then we have no choice but to accept it. After all, filial piety is paramount, and we cannot go against the old master’s wishes. Don’t you all agree?”

Pei Yu’s visit today was merely a pretext. If the Pei family let him in, Pei Que and his wife would be looked down upon. But not letting him in would be too inhumane.

However, An Zhi first brought up the old master, using him as a reason to pressure Pei Yu, and also mentioned that Pei Yu’s family was at fault for being kicked out of the Pei family. This way, the onlookers would think that Pei Yu deserved it.

Therefore, when An Zhi asked, everyone readily agreed.

Pei Que chimed in, “Pei Yu, if you truly care, send the offerings to the refugees; that would fulfill your filial duty to the old master. Crying and shouting here only makes you seem tasteless.”